For most projects, all rooms or thermal zones should be organized in groups using an appropriate grouping scheme prior to assigning the model spaces to a system in ApacheHVAC.
Once a predefined system has been loaded or a custom system created in ApacheHVAC, all conditioned rooms, HVAC zones, supply plenums (if any), and return plenums (if any) must be assigned to the HVAC network. If not, they will be conditioned instead by a simplified method in Apache Systems—within the Apache Thermal view. While Apache Systems is appropriate for early schematic design and for compliance with certain standards, ApacheHVAC systems should be used for comparative analysis of design and control strategies, supporting design decisions, documenting projected energy performance, and IECC 2012.
While rooms or thermal zones can be individually added to new layers in the multiplexed HVAC network, for all but very small projects with few rooms it is far more efficient to assign the rooms/zones from room/zone groups.
The grouping functionality provided in the VE allows users to group their rooms/zones as per the guidance in IECC 2012. This should be done before creating/importing a system in ApacheHVAC
